


As You Are Mine, I Am Yours

by Marlon



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Friends to Lovers, Just Add Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21890644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marlon/pseuds/Marlon
Summary: On his way home after working late on Christmas Eve, Kylo discovers an abandoned kitten just steps from his flat. With the city closing down for the holiday and unsure what else to do, Kylo takes the kitten home with him. Remembering that his neighbour, Hux, has a cat, Kylo shows up on his doorstep pleading for help.This is not how Kylo thought his Christmas holiday was going to go.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 32
Kudos: 169
Collections: Kylux Fanworks Secret Santa 2019





	As You Are Mine, I Am Yours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zigzagwanderer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zigzagwanderer/gifts).

> This is for the Kylux Secret Santa exchange. Happy Holidays Zigzag-Wanderer, I hope you enjoy this cute story about two men and their kitten!

Ridiculous, Kylo gripes to himself. He’s tempted to file a complaint with the HR department over this - making him work until five o’clock on Christmas Eve is outrageous. His co-workers at Minerva thought it was perfectly fine to make him stay late simply because they all wanted to go home early and they knew he wasn’t flying back to New York for the holidays. He could have plans tonight, for all they knew.

He swipes his Oyster card as he leaves the underground station and barrels up the step to street level. His face must look like thunder given how people were practically diving out of his way. Good, he thinks, as he stomps towards home.

Kylo knows he should probably eventually close the geographical gap between himself and his family, but not just yet and besides, a family is more than just blood relations. He couldn’t bear to think of leaving London just yet to return home to New York. He’d worked hard for his career, it hadn’t been easy carving out an art career in London and he couldn't imagine leaving it anytime soon.

Leia hadn’t been thrilled when he announced his decision to move overseas to pursue art, her apprehension only slightly mollified when she found out he planned to focus on photography as well as painting. _At least photography a practical skill_. Even after all these years, he can still hear her reluctant concession bouncing around his head.

Seldom able to live by his brush when he was younger, Kylo had fallen back on his photography skills and secured a few contracts with publications around the city. Minerva, the music journal with whom he still works part-time, had been a fledgling publication when he first joined but now is one of the premier sites for music news, interviews, concert listings, and records reviews in London.

Through a combination of good luck and sheer dogged determination, Kylo is well and truly established within the art community in London, having made a name for himself with his large canvases with colours chosen with deliberate intent and used sparingly. He’s exhibited his work all over the country and sold his work to galleries in London, Dublin, and Glasgow, and even to private collectors from as far away as Hong Kong.

He had scaled back his work with Minerva in the last year, opting to limit his assignments to those he was truly interested in, and maintaining control over his negatives and prints. He still enjoys the energy and excitement of a photoshoot though; and admittedly, it’s a nice little ego boost when musicians ask for him by name. Nowadays, to be photographed by Kylo Ren carries a bit of cache.

At Minerva this week, they’d been racing to front-load content to their website since the office would be closed for the next couple of days. Kylo always insists on doing his own editing and touch-ups so that sometimes means coming to the office to use their far-superior equipment instead of his slightly out of date set-up at home.

He’d been so engrossed in his work that he didn’t notice the slow steady trickle of staff streaming out of the office until it was too late to make his own getaway. The office manager sidled up to his desk and asked if he wouldn’t mind staying until closing, just in case any big stories broke or emergencies happened. Although what kind of musical emergency would occur on Christmas Eve Kylo had no idea but he gave in with bad grace. When James smugly suggested it was easier for Kylo to stay late because he didn’t have a family to go home to, Kylo glowered darkly at him over the top of his monitor until the other man slunk away quickly.

Well, fuck that guy, Kylo grumps to himself. He could have a partner, or kids, or even a pet, it’s not like anyone at the office knows; he’s part-time now so he’s often off-site working. James is a new employee, coming on board within the last year so he didn’t really know Kylo - he could be married and James would have no idea. Kylo resents the implication that he’s some sort of undesirable, dateless wonder. Okay fine, he hasn’t been seeing anyone lately but that’s only because work has been so busy.

He’s so mired in his angry woolgathering that as Kylo stomps past the narrow alley between buildings, he nearly misses the thin, plaintive cries coming from the darkness. He slides to a stop on the snowy pavement and peers down the alley; he can’t see much in the gloom but he can just barely make out the outline of a wet cardboard box flung up against the brick wall. 

The December weather in London had been uncharacteristically cold and snowy so the streets were lined with grimy snowbanks, the sidewalks slick with icy snow and salt, his breath swirled around his head like a will-o-the-wisp and his cheeks and fingers were numb. The alley hadn’t been cleared out so it’s filled with snow with only two ruts down the middle show where cars had passed.

Kylo approaches the disintegrating cardboard box as the cries from within grew louder and more insistent as the creature inside senses his approach. With the toe of his boot, he carefully pushes aside one of the flaps and a pair of bright green eyes in a wet, dirty face greet him. The orange kitten looks to be about seven weeks old or so, Kylo’s no judge, however, all kittens look the same to him. The small kitten is shivering in the cold, snowy weather and Kylo’s anger sparks - there’s no food or blankets in the box, the poor little thing was just dumped in the snow in the wet box, left to die, obviously. Kylo crouches down to push aside the flaps of the box to search for a note or address, anything that might identify where the unfortunate kitten came from.

As he searches the box for clues, the kitten leaps up on its hind legs, trying to clamber over the edge of the box to him. It’s shivering so hard that Kylo unspools the scarf from around his neck and uses it to gather up the kitten. He cuddles it to his chest as he glances around the street. He doesn't know what to do, surely there won’t be any veterinary surgeries open at this hour, everything will probably be closed for the next few days.

That’s when inspiration strikes: his neighbour, Hux, has a cat. Kylo is sure he’s heard a cat behind his neighbour’s door when he leaves for work. Hux will absolutely know what to do.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” Kylo says to the shivering bundle in his arms. “We’ll get you sorted out soon.”

Kylo hurries out of the alley and down the street towards his townhouse. Yes, Hux will know what to do, Kylo is sure of it. He only has a casual friendship with his neighbour but Hux always exudes a ridiculous amount of confidence with his pristine suits and perfect posture. While he’s never cloying or overly-familiar, Hux has always been reservedly polite with Kylo, making small talk with him at the mailboxes on the first floor, or greeting him in the hallway the odd times their paths crossed.

Still, Kylo wouldn't have minded knowing Hux a little better, he likes his slightly snide attitude and the superior way he walks, like he expects crowds to part for him. Plus, Hux is rather beautiful with his red hair and full rosy mouth - Kylo doesn’t shy away from admitting how many times he’s fantasized about what it must be like to kiss lips as plush as Hux’s. As if the hair, the attitude, and confidence wasn’t enough, they also have a mutual dislike of their neighbour across the hall, the one with a small yapping dog.

Unfortunately for Kylo, he also knows that Hux has an equally attractive and confident partner; he would occasionally meet them coming and going from their flat. Moreover, the common wall the flats share means that Kylo can sometimes hear the murmured laughter and muted conversations from Hux’s place and he envies their quiet domesticity.

What, in turn, did Kylo have? A wet kitten, and an empty flat. Not much to show for himself.

As he rushes towards his building, he breathes a sigh of relief as he sees the lights on in Hux’s flat. He juggles his keys out of his messenger bag, careful not to jostle the kitten too much, then he flies up the stairs and knocks frantically on Hux’s door.

Hux answers the door with a curious look on his face. He’s dressed as if he’s about to go out for a run so Kylo breathes a word of thanks that he got here in time.

“Hux, can you help me?” Kylo folds down the edge of his scarf to reveal the kitten. “I found it abandoned in the alley around the corner and I know you have a cat so I thought you could help? I don’t know anything about cats.”

He’s rambling a bit but he can't stop, the kitten is quite still in his arms and he’s worried maybe he found it too late. Hux’s face softens when he sees the kitten and he steps back to allow Kylo into his flat.

“Um,” He starts as he closes the door behind Kylo. “I don’t have a cat anymore, Henry took it with him when he moved out.”

Shit. Fuck.

“Christ, Hux,” Kylo wishes he could sink through the floor. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”

Hux’s face crumples slightly. “It’s okay, I suppose.” He makes a valiant effort to smooth away the emotion from his face. “I think I still have some of Bella’s things, why don’t you go to the bathroom and I’ll see what I can find.” He points down the hall to Kylo’s left.

Kylo would rather turn and flee but he’s already disturbed Hux’s evening so now he has to see this thing through. Carefully kicking off his wet boots, he sets his bag down and carries the kitten to the bathroom. Now that he thinks about it, he supposes its been some time since he’s seen Hux with the other man, Henry, or heard the cat behind the door. He wishes he could wrap Hux up in his scarf along with the kitten and protect them both, anything to keep that wounded look off Hux’s face when he said his former partner’s name. The telling of a relationship break-up can be as painful as the actual separation, Kylo knows. It’s nothing but a constant reopening of the wound as you run into casual friends and acquaintances that you haven’t seen in ages, each new interaction means you have to go through the whole awful saga again, again, and again, picking at the scars that have formed.

Kylo sighs, sorry that he’s the one to accidentally reopen Hux’s wounds, and on Christmas Eve, no less. He didn’t know. 

In Hux’s bathroom, Kylo carefully sets the bundle of the kitten and scarf down on the counter. He can see the hole that Henry’s departure has left in Hux’s life - the bathroom is almost devoid of items, there are a few bottles on one side of the sink, Hux’s shaving gear, moisturizer, and cologne, but the other side of the sink is bare. Hux comes into the bathroom carrying fresh towels and a soft washcloth; under the bright lights of the bathroom, Kylo notices purplish smudges under Hux’s eyes from sleepless nights.

“I found a couple of cans of wet food in the back of the cupboard, and an extra cardboard carrier,” He says as he wets the cloth. “It can sleep in that until you can take it to the shelter.”

With gentle hands, he parts the scarf and the kitten mews at him, eyes brighter and more alert now that it’s in the warm indoors. Hux smiles down at the little animal as he carefully and methodically begins to wipe the grime from its fur. The kitten purrs and stretches into the touch.

“I’m sorry, again,” Kylo says, meeting Hux’s eyes in the mirror. “I should have known.”

“How could you,” Hux replies, glancing up at Kylo. “It’s fine, it’s been almost a year. It’s old news now.” His words are flippant but Kylo can hear a brittle edge in his tone.

“Still,” Kylo bites his lip. “I’m sorry.” His heart clenches in sympathy for Hux, even after a year he can see it’s still a sensitive spot for Hux.

“Yes, well. Henry decided that his job opportunity in Seattle was too good to pass up and apparently it mattered little to him that I couldn’t just pack up and go.”

“What an ass,” Kylo mutters. What kind of person did that? “Well, it rains a lot in Seattle so he’s probably miserable there.”

That makes Hux laugh a little, his eyes are a bit brighter when he glances up at Kylo. “I think the kitten is alright for now.” He tosses the used washcloth into the sink. “It doesn’t look injured and I don’t see any signs of fleas so it’ll probably be fine until one of the shelters or surgeries opens on Wednesday.”

“Thanks, Hux,” Kylo sighs, relieved. “You’re a life-saver.”

“It’s Armitage, actually,” Hux says, smiling faintly. “My first name is Armitage.”

“Oh,” Kylo cocks his head to the side, considering. “That suits you.”

Armitage crooks his mouth up in a half-smile as he runs the towel over the kitten, drying it as best he can after its impromptu bath.

“Thanks,” He rolls his eyes a bit. “My father is a huge cricket fan if you can’t tell.”

“Well, you manage to pull it off with an incredible amount of confidence.”

Armitage straightens up as he folds the towel and throws it into the sink to join the damp washcloth. “How very poetic of you.”

Kylo grins as he scoops up the kitten to follow Armitage out of the bathroom and down the hall to the kitchen.

In the tidy kitchen, Armitage finds a white ramekin from one of the cupboards and proceeds to open one of the leftover cans of cat food; he spoons out a tiny scoop into the bowl and slides it to towards Kylo, now standing on the opposite side of the high table.

“We never used to let Bella up on the table,” Armitage says as he rinses the spoon off and leaves it in the sink then returns to the table. “But for this little one, we can make an exception.”

The kitten wolfs the food down with a noisy abandon, making quiet growls and mewls as it eats. It’s such a small, helpless thing, Kylo thinks as he gazes down at its fuzzy tail lashing around on the table, how could someone just abandon it.

“Thank you again for your help,” He looks up at Armitage. “Sorry that we crashed your Christmas Eve.”

Armitage snorts as he looks about his flat - it’s almost devoid of Christmas decorations, only a small tree stands in the corner beside the fireplace decorated in colour coordinating garlands and baubles. Kylo follows Armitage’s gaze. The rest of the flat is cozy though, the dark floorboards compliment the warm, caramel coloured walls.

“It’s fine,” Armitage replies, looking back at Kylo, sadness laced around his eyes again. “I had no plans tonight, or tomorrow.” He looks down at the kitten, a frown pulling at his mouth, then he glances back up at Kylo. “Actually, I was just going to go for a run and then have dinner but I can run tomorrow, do you want to stay? For dinner, I mean. You and the kitten?”

“Oh!” Kylo says, surprised. A small warm spark flares in his chest at the invitation. “Are you sure we wouldn’t be in your way?”

“Not at all.” Armitage pauses. “Unless you had to get to a family dinner, or to your girlfriend's place?” He fiddles with the can of cat food, not looking at Kylo.

“No,” Kylo blurts out. “I mean, my family is all in New York and there’s no girlfriend, no partner.”  
He smiles at Armitage as he glances up, a brief gleam of excitement sparkling in his green eyes replacing the somberness momentarily. “I’d love to have dinner with you - let me just run home and see what I’ve got to contribute.”

Armitage barely has time to nod before Kylo is flying out of the flat, leaving his shoes behind. He pads down the hallway to his door and fumbles with the keys in his eagerness. Inside his chilly flat, he curses himself for not being better prepared for this sort of situation - he’s running low on groceries but he grabs a bag of Christmas oranges from the counter as well as a box of chocolates that was a gift from one of his co-workers. Digging through the fridge, he adds a couple of bottles of that nice sour beer that he likes, that he hopes Armitage will like as well.

Rushing back to Armitage’s flat with his gifts, Kylo doesn't bother to change - he’s already dressed casually from work - it was a jeans, t-shirt, and cardigan sort of day since half the staff left at noon. He feels his earlier annoyance threatening to choke him again and he swallows it down as he lightly knocks on Armitage’s door then lets himself in. What had been an irritant before, staying late at work, has turned into a sudden blessing, if he hadn’t been walking home at that exact moment, the kitten might have succumbed to the cold and then neither of them would be here in Armitage's cozy flat.

“Hello?” He calls out as he closes the door behind him. 

The kitchen is empty. Armitage has cleared away the kitten’s dish and as Kylo passes through the sitting room area, he notices that Armitage has set the kitten up in the cardboard carrier - he’s placed the carrier on the floor by the fireplace with the top open and the kitten peeks over the edge of the carrier, little triangle ears alert. It chirrups when it sees Kylo.

“Hey buddy,” Kylo deposits his goods on the kitchen table and crouches by the carrier, scritching the kitten gently behind its ears. “You look cozy.” Armitage has turned on the fireplace for warmth and also put down a soft blanket in the carrier for the kitten to snuggle up in.

As he’s tickling the kitten beneath its chin, his mind wanders back to Armitage. He feels awful for dredging up obviously painful parts of Armitage’s life - Armitage had been generous, saying it wasn’t Kylo’s fault for not knowing but still, he feels like he should have been more observant. Wasn’t that one of the constant complaints people had about London, that it was too cold and impersonal? And here was Kylo, so caught up in his own life that he didn’t even notice the significant changes in his neighbour’s life. He thinks back and can’t even recall the last time he’d heard Armitage's cat, Bella, behind the door, nor the last time he’d heard Armitage or Henry in their flat. It had just been cold, stony silence. The last time he’d spoken with Armitage in the hallway, he hadn’t even asked after the other man’s wellbeing, he’d just complained that the art supply store had been out of the type of cadmium yellow he prefers. Fuck, he was an ass. 

A soft step behind him draws his attention and he glances over his shoulder. Armitage has changed from his running clothes, ditching the technical gear and puffy vest for well-worn jeans and a t-shirt. His hair is delightfully rumpled.

“Oh my god,” Kylo says, standing. “Is that a Camera Obscura shirt? They haven’t put out any new albums since like, forever - how old is that shirt?”

Armitage grins as he smooths his hand down the front of the weathered shirt. “It’s from their 2007 tour after they released Let’s Get Out of This Country - I saw them at the Imperial. Were you there?”

“No,” Kylo says, wistfully. “I didn’t live here then but I would have loved to have been.”

Kylo follows Armitage back to the kitchen.

“Did I just rise in your estimation?” Armitage smirks. “Here, give me your coat.”

Kylo sheds his green wool coat and hands it over. Biting back a huge smile, he watches Armitage shake out the sleeves and hang it up neatly.

“I mean, a little bit?” He lets the smile bloom on his face as Armitage glances over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “Sorry, not to be a music snob, but Camera Obscura is, well, obscure.” His stomach does a funny flip flop when Armitage hides a laugh behind the back of his hand. “Do you go to a lot of shows?”

“Not so many in this last year,” Armitage says, the corners of his mouth pulling down again. “But I used to go a lot and then I got into the habit of going with Henry and now… it feels a bit weird to go alone.”

He returns to the kitchen, guiding Kylo to the table with a light hand on his back.

“I get tickets to almost everything-” Kylo blurts out, not wanting Armitage to spiral into sadness again. “-because of work. If you ever want to go, just name the band, I can probably even get us backstage.”

Armitage smiles. “You work for Minerva, right? I’ve seen your name attached to some of the photographs.”

“Just part-time these days. How’d you know?”

“Do you think there’s a lot of people named Kylo Ren in this city?” Armitage says dryly. “Also, your picture is on their website.”

“Oh, right. Of course.” 

Armitage rolls his eyes lightly at Kylo’s flustered reply. He directs Kylo to one of the chairs at the table as he goes to the fridge and removes a pan of marinated chicken and a variety of vegetables for a salad. He brings everything to the table, setting the salad ingredients down in front of Kylo before he retrieves a package of new potatoes and a bag of carrots. He also dutifully fetches cutting boards and knives and together, they set about preparing their impromptu Christmas Eve dinner.

The kitten, in its carrier by the fireplace, chirrups and mews, its head bobbing over the edge of the carrier as it tries to hop out - it’s not quite big enough to escape but it’s making a valiant effort.

“We’ll play in a minute,” Armitage calls to it as he accepts one of the bottles of beer Kylo brought over.

The beer is one of Kylo’s favourite, cherry-sweet and tart, it’s perfect for the season. Armitage makes a little noise of pleasure when he takes a sip, he smacks his lips at the tartness and a small smile spreads across his face as he reads the label. Kylo has to grip the edge of the table so he doesn’t slide to the floor in delight. Who smacks their lips? It’s adorable and so at odds with Armitage’s prim appearance. But, it was the small smile that was Kylo’s doom. As the alcohol works its way through Armitage’s system, hectic spots of pink flush across his cheeks. Kylo bites his lip and drops his eyes back to his pile of vegetables so he doesn’t reveal how utterly charmed he is by Armitage.

The conversation flows easily between them. He learns that Armitage is originally from Dublin and that his family lives there still. Kylo isn’t the only one who grapples with the separation caused by geography and circumstance. Armitage, it seems, has no plans to move back to Dublin any time soon.

They talk about their jobs. Armitage, with a nod to the desk with two very expensive monitors in the corner of the sitting room, is an engineer but he’s more interested in Kylo’s work.

“That must be a lot of hustling,” He says as he scrapes all the vegetables and potatoes into the pan and spreads them out around the chicken. “Freelancing is tough.”

“It was when I was first starting out,” Kylo admits. “I ate a lot of cup noodles but now I have a pretty strong portfolio and client list. I’m hoping to have a solo gallery show in the early summer though, that’s been taking more effort to get off the ground.”

Armitage mentions a few exhibits coming up in the new year that he’s been interested in seeing, some of the shows line up with some that Kylo will be attending so they make casual plans to perhaps go together. Kylo doesn’t want to push too much in case Armitage is just being nice but he seems to show genuine interest.

With dinner in the oven, they move to the sitting room to keep the kitten company. Apologetically, Armitage says that he doesn’t have any of Bella’s cat toys left but he dashes to his bedroom and returns with a rolled-up pair of his socks and they sit on the floor with their drinks, taking turns rolling the improvised ball around for the kitten to pounce on.

As they play with the kitten and the delicious smells of their dinner filter through the air, Kylo feels himself growing indignant towards Henry on Armitage’s behalf. Armitage is adorably flushed with the effects of the beer and the easy company, he’s animated chatting about his work and the books he’s read lately. Kylo hopes that if he’s ever lucky to have someone like Armitage in his life, he wouldn’t throw them away so carelessly.

Later on, as they settle down on the sofa to watch movies with the kitten curled up on one side of him, and Armitage pressed close on the other side, Kylo marvels at his situation. This is not how he thought his Christmas Eve would go.

He couldn’t be happier.

****

Kylo awakens with a snort to an unfamiliar room and a bolt of sunlight blaring down on his face. His neck has a crick from being wrenched at a weird angle all night so he gingerly lifts his head up to see a ball of orange fluff perched on his chest, purring softly, ears twitching. The kitten had somehow crawled all the way up Kylo’s body to nestle in the curve of his shoulder.

He glances to his right where Armitage is gently curled into him, cheek upon Kylo’s shoulder, plush, biteable lips gently slack with sleep. Armitage is sprawled against him with almost as much abandon as the kitten; sleep makes his sharp lines and angles soft and his face appear years younger.

Armitage must sense a change in Kylo’s energy because he jolts awake, sitting up to rub groggily at his eyes.

“Oh god,” He says with dismay, eyes widening as he glances down at Kylo. “I didn’t drool on you, did I?” He scrubs at his mouth. “I didn’t realize I was so tired.”

Kylo laughs, his voice is gravelly. “You’re fine.” He sits up, gently moving the kitten to his lap, it’s slower to wake up than he or Armitage. “Merry Christmas.”

Armitage nods. “And to you.” He scrubs his hand through his flattened red hair, eyes darting around the room. The television is black but they didn’t turn it off last night before they fell asleep so the electrical hum of it vibrates through the air around them. “Um…”

Kylo’s stomach chooses this moment to rumble loudly. Armitage bursts into throaty laughter and Kylo grins back, pleased to see the hint of awkwardness flee from Armitage’s face.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay for breakfast but I didn’t want to impose.”

Kylo’s stomach rumbles again. “I’d love to stay if you don’t mind me in your space a little longer - I can make pancakes.”

Armitage's eyes lit up. “Perfect! I don’t mean to monopolize your time, though. Perhaps you have better things to do today?”

Kylo reaches over to tug the collar on Armitage’s t-shirt straight so there can be a little more contact between them. “It’s Christmas; I was just going to eat and then do some work.”

“Same, unfortunately,” Armitage says with a grim smile. “But first, let’s have breakfast and put off work for a little bit longer.”

A small burst of excitement ripples through Kylo at Armitage’s invitation. He nods. “Okay, sure. Let me just run home and quickly shower and then I’ll be back with the ingredients to my extra special Christmas pancakes.”

Armitage nods eagerly and shuffles back further so that Kylo can stand. He agrees to look after the kitten while Kylo is next door.

Kylo grabs his coat, boots, and bag as he leaves and once the door has closed upon his heels, he all but runs to his flat. He dumps his coat and bag on his sofa then rushes down the hallway tearing his shirt off as he goes, his heart in his throat. That Armitage seems to genuinely want Kylo to stay, and not as some sort of pity invite, is incredible to him. They were all but strangers yesterday morning, and now they’re sharing their second meal in as many hours. Kylo kicks off his jeans, hopping around on one leg as the cuff gets stuck on his heel.

One lightning fast shower later, Kylo dresses in his favourite pair of black yoga tights and a long-sleeved t-shirt. He gives his hair a rough dry then throws the towel in the general direction of the bathroom as he hurries to the kitchen to gather the ingredients he’ll need for the pancakes.

He knocks on Armitage’s door, entering when he hears Armitage’s voice beckon from within. Once inside, he finds Armitage seated at the kitchen table, obviously fresh from the shower as well because his hair is damp and slicked back from his forehead. The kitten is again noisily devouring food from the white ramekin.

Armitage’s eyes fall on the tote bag as Kylo enters the kitchen. “I’m very interested to know what makes these pancakes so amazing?”

“I make them with coconut flour,” Kylo says as he holds up his tote bag of ingredients.

“Well, best get to work then,” Armitage nods towards the stove with a grin. “Impress me.”

Kylo snaps a smart salute as he begins to unpack the items. 

When the kitten finishes its breakfast, Armitage clears away the dish so that Kylo has more room to work. He sets the kitten in a nest of blankets on the sofa where it promptly falls asleep again, purring contentedly.

As Kylo works, with Armitage ably assisting making tea and coffee, they talk about what the rest of the week holds - Armitage is for Dublin in a couple of days, having promised his mother and siblings he’d visit. He asks about Kylo’s family, curious when Kylo says his parents are involved in local politics. Just then, however, Armitage’s phone chimes. He glances at the screen.

“Oh, it’s my mother, I should take this.” He stands up from the table. “I’ll just be a couple of minutes.” He disappears around the corner and Kylo hears him in the hallway speaking in low tones to his mother.

“Merry Christmas, mum.” There’s a pause as Armitage listens. “Are Will and Orla there yet?” Another pause. “Good lord, Evie, I’m fine. How many times do I have to say it!”

Kylo bites his lip to keep from laughing, he knows that exasperated tone well. It creeps into some of his calls with Leia when she cross-examines him about his life choices - honestly, she really missed her true calling as a prosecutor.

“No, I’m not alone.” Armitage pauses, Kylo can hear the floorboards creaking as Armitage shifts from foot to foot. “I had dinner with a friend.” A pause, listening. “He lives next door, you don’t know him.”

Kylo does chuckle at that causing Armitage to poke his head around the doorframe to give Kylo a dirty look, which makes him laugh again.

“I have to go but I’ll see you in a couple of days.” Armitage returns to the kitchen. “Bye, love you.”

He hangs up with a loud exhale then he grins up at Kylo’s bemused face. “Aoibheann is tenacious.” He says by way of explanation.

“Say no more,” Kylo says, with a wave of the spatula. “You should meet Leia. She’s the borough president for Manhattan, the first woman to ever hold that office, so you can imagine.” He grins as Armitage looks momentarily terrified. Kylo expertly flips a small, golden-coloured pancake onto the stack on a plate and hands it over to Armitage. “Here you go, the best Christmas pancakes you’ve ever had.”

He turns off the griddle and stacks the dishes into the sink to be washed. Taking his place at the table, Armitage dishes out the pancakes and fruit between two plates then pours out the coffee. He bites into the first fluffy pancake, eyes fluttering closed in pleasure. Kylo smiles at him over the rim of his coffee cup, enjoying Armitage’s enjoyment.

From outside, the city is quiet save for a peel of church bells ringing out in celebration of the holiday. Kylo feels a sort of deep-seated contentment, a feeling he hadn't had in ages, at the situation - it’s just himself, Armitage, and the kitten safe from the world in their little cocoon. Armitage swipes up some excess syrup with his fingertip and licks it off with relish. Kylo averts his eyes - he’s going to have trouble letting Armitage go when this seasonal spell finally breaks and they return to their regular lives. Kylo sighs and digs into his own breakfast.

He’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it.

****

Inevitably, Boxing Day rolls around. The city begins to resume its normal hectic pace; shops and businesses reopen and the streets are again crowded with people who have crept out from their homes, blinking in the bright sunlight after several days inside celebrating the holidays.

Kylo manages to locate a veterinary surgery that is not only open but has an available appointment time today. As a lucky bonus, the surgery isn’t too far from his flat. He bundles the kitten and its blankets into the borrowed carrier and sets off, trying not to jostle the kitten too much as he moves. The kitten mews plaintively as he steps outside and the chilly air swirls around them.

Doctor Padua, the veterinarian, is a steady, confident woman and Kylo feels a sense of relief just being in her calm presence. She reassures him that the kitten is in rather remarkably good health for being abandoned out in the snow and enduring so much upheaval in its brief life. A scan reveals that the kitten is an unchipped female and the doctor advises bringing the kitten to a shelter if Kylo doesn’t want to continue caring for her.

Kylo had never really given much thought to having a cat; he’d always had dogs growing up and when he’d first moved to London, there wasn’t enough room in his life and schedule for a pet. But now though, he’s more established in his career and is able to pick and choose assignments and hours, he could be home more often than not.

The orange kitten keeps trying to wriggle out of the technician’s hands and when she finally succeeds, she dashes across the examination table towards Kylo, mewing and chirruping to him. Kylo softens in the face of the kitten’s green eyes and reedy thin cries; she’s so small and seems to like him, so maybe it wouldn’t be all bad if she stays a little longer. He agrees to look after her through the holiday season and then make a decision after New Year’s.

The veterinary surgery sends Kylo and the kitten home with several pamphlets to read and a complimentary bag of kitten food. From the shop adjacent to the clinic, Kylo also buys a few plush toys, a litter box, and other supplies. He’s so over-laden with things that along with the carrier, it’s too much to take on transit. He calls for a taxi instead.

Once home, Kylo decides the safest place for the kitten in his decidedly non-kitten-proof flat is the bathroom. He makes sure the tub is dry and clears away his bottles and other shower things, then lines the tub with a blanket and a sheet, then he scoops up the kitten and her blanket from the carrier and gently places her down in the tub along with her new toys for company. As he thought, she’s not big enough to be able to clamber out of the tub, her little ears only just peek over the edge. She can stay in the bathroom for a few hours while she gets used to his flat which will also give him time to sort things out.

London is an expensive place to be an artist - studio space is limited and expensive, and not always in the most accessible parts of the city. When he was a younger man, fresh out of school, there was no way he had been able to afford both a flat and separate studio space so he’d just used his flat as his studio. Even now, as a more established artist, he still prefers to work at home so where Armitage’s flat is a cozy, adult space complete with proper furniture, bookshelves, and track lighting, Kylo’s is chilly, sparse and spartan.

The main sitting area of his flat is nearly devoid of furniture, he only has a pale blue curved back sofa with tufted buttons - it was a silly extravagance he purchased some years ago when he sold his first painting. He likes the elegance of the sofa though and the pale colour contrasts nicely with the dark floorboards and cream coloured walls. The fireplace in his flat is in a similar location to Armitage’s - along the long wall - but where Armitage has bookshelves, Kylo has two large windows framing the fireplace. His flat is towards the back of the building so unfortunately, his view is not as nice as Armitage’s, he looks out onto the alley rather than the busy street. A majority of the space in the main room is taken up with his studio equipment: the large multi-angle easel that had been a gift from his parents when he graduated, a heavy-duty standing light, a low stool and a utility table that holds many of his painting supplies - he’ll have to keep the table tidy, depending on how curious the kitten proves to be.

The hallway that leads from his studio/sitting room to his bedroom is lined with three tall bookshelves. The bookcases hold yet more art supplies, sketchbooks and rolls of tracing paper, and old textbooks from school. His reference books mix with novels, stacks of magazines, and his prized record collection. He’s always rather liked this layout when he walks down the hallway on the creaking floorboards, he feels like he’s in a venerable, old library.

From the linen closet beside the bathroom, he digs out a tall roll of heavy-duty plastic and three additional drop cloths. He peeks into the bathroom when he hears the jingle of one of the toys and sees the kitten amusing herself.

Back in the main room, he carefully wraps up all the completed canvases that are stacked haphazardly along the walls. After they’re all wrapped, he gathers them neatly in three stacks against one wall and then covers them with the paint-splattered sheets. He stands back and glances around him studio area - hopefully, his changes will be good enough to discourage a curious kitten from climbing the canvases. If the kitten proves determined, he’ll have to devise some method of storing the paintings securely or inquire about storage space somewhere in the building. He smooths out the plastic covering on the floor around the easel, reinforcing the tape on the edges so that there are no openings for the kitten to crawl through and get trapped.

Kylo checks on the kitten again and finds her now drowsily reclining in the blankets almost nodding off to sleep. He returns to the sitting area and flops down on the sofa. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time; it’s late in the afternoon, the visit to the clinic and everything that came after took much longer than Kylo realized. Armitage might be home from work by now if he went to his office. They had exchanged numbers yesterday before Kylo reluctantly returned to his own flat, Armitage had said to let him know what happened at the clinic today.

_The kitten wasn’t chipped_

He watches with a smile as Armitage's text bubble appears instantly.

_And????_

_She’s hanging out in the bathroom right now_

Kylo watches for a reply but there comes a knock on the door instead. He throws his phone down on the blue cushions in his eagerness to answer the door; Armitage stands there dressed elegantly in a charcoal suit, he’d obviously only returned recently from work.

“You decided to keep the kitten?”

Kylo shrugs as he stands back, holding the door open for Armitage. “Not sure yet. I said I didn’t mind taking care of her for the next few days.”

He leads Armitage down the hallway to the bathroom. The kitten is awake having heard the commotion at the front door and chattering away, her raspy mews greet them when they crowd into the small space. 

“Hey there, Millie,” Kylo coos. He sits at the edge of the tub so he can reach down and scritch the kitten behind the ears. “You remember Armitage, don’t you?”

“Millie?” Armitage queries as he perches beside Kylo reaching forward to take up one of the toys and jingle it at the kitten.

“She struck me as a Millicent,” Kylo says, grinning as the kitten batts at the squeaky toy in Armitage’s hand with her white-socked paw.

“Indeed,” Armitage says, “A perfect name for her.”

Armitage’s beautiful sunburst hair tumbles over his forehead as he leans forward to gently stroke his fingers down the kitten’s back and Kylo swallows down a burst of butterflies - he can’t remember a time when he’s fallen this fast and hard for someone. Armitage smiles over at him, beneath his long lashes his eyes are dark, glinting green and Kylo falls just a little bit more in love.

****

Kylo floats in dream space, content for the moment. An idea for a new painting is just beginning to coalesce at the edge of his consciousness and soon, before the idea fizzles away, he’s going to have to get up and start sketching. But for now, the idea burns so brightly that he can spend a few more minutes dozing and dreaming. He thinks of his new painting, of Armitage, of the little bundle of orange fluff that’s curled up at his shoulder, purring.

Millie has gotten into the habit of waking up at four in the morning and crying until he drags himself out of his warm bed and fetches her from her nest to bring her to his bed for a cuddle. She likes to sleep as close to his face as she can get so either right on his chest, or in the curve of his shoulder. Soon, she’ll be big enough to get out of her carrier herself and make her own way to his bed, she’s almost there now.

Kylo sighs, completely comfortable for the moment. His thoughts shift more decidedly to Armitage and he daydreams about his ever-shifting green eyes and how they seem to swirl between hazel and a deep emerald. Kylo wonders how someone is able to see out of such verdant eyes. Such a thing doesn’t seem possible.

He considers the vibrant colour of Armitage’s hair and whether or not it’s as soft as it looks. How would it feel if he could finally run his fingers through it, how would those bright strands look and feel cascading through his large hands?

The vision for his painting snaps into focus suddenly then causing Kylo to jolt to full wakefulness. With a silent apology to Millie, he scoops her up and sets her on the pillow beside him. She grizzles then curls up into a tighter ball and resumes her kittenish snores. Kylo shuffles to sitting, adjusting the pillows behind him to support his back then he carefully leans over to grab one from the stack of sketchbooks he keeps on the shelf of his bedside table.

He loses track of time as he sketches furiously, hurrying to capture all the details of his idea on the page. When Millie’s insistent batting at his arm is too much to ignore, he decides it’s probably breakfast time for them both, he has several pages of sketches and notes anyway.

Kylo pours some kibble in Millie’s bowl then checks her water fountain in the other corner of the kitchen, all seems to be in order with that. As he methodically chews his way through a bowl of oatmeal, then an orange, Kylo scrolls through his twitter feed. Today is New Year’s Eve - he’d completely forgotten, consumed with taking care of Millie, mooning over Armitage, and working.

He’d been invited to a few parties and he supposes he should go, he never knows whom he might meet: a gallerist interested in his work, a collector in the market to buy, a fellow artist looking to collaborate. Armitage had been right when he assumed Kylo’s job was a constant hustle, for it was. Every day could bring a new opportunity that he has to be open too.

Speaking of Armitage, he’d been in Dublin the last few days on his promised visit to his mother and siblings. It had been quiet without him around, the excitement from the days spent over Christmas had faded a little bit and Kylo fervently hopes they might be able to pick up where they left off when he returns.

Finishing his breakfast, Kylo gathers up the dishes and utensils and deposits them in the sink. Pouring himself another cup of coffee, he sets it on the utility table beside his easel then he raises the rustic looking jute shades on both windows so that the morning sun can flood the room and provide him ample light to work with.

Millie has finished eating for now and is now playing with some of her toys in front of the cold fireplace.

“Alright, Millie?” He says to her as he crosses the room to the hallway.

Down the hall to the bathroom, he finds a hair elastic on the counter and pulls his tangled curls into a messy top knot to keep it out of his face while working. He then retrieves his sketches from the bedroom and returns to his easel to begin his day’s work.

Maybe he’d go to one of those parties later, depending on how his work went.

****

Hours pass while Kylo works. Fortunately, he already had a prepared canvas in the size he wanted so he didn’t need to worry about stretching his own, or fighting the crowds doing last-minute party-shopping in order to get to the art supply store.

The floor around his easel is littered with more sketches and small canvases he used to sketch out more ideas and to test colour combinations. Millie moved around the room, following the sunlight until finally, she came to attempt to claw her way up Kylo’s leg. He gathers her up before she can get too far and damage both his leg and his yoga tights. She’s sitting on his shoulder purring loudly into his ear as he finally brings the large canvas to the easel and begins sketching the final image in light pencil strokes.

He’s perched on his low stool, working on the gentle curve of the figure’s folded legs when there comes a knock at the door. He sits up carefully, aware that he’s been hunched over for a long time, and stretches gently, groaning at the pops and snaps his spine makes as it extends. He looks blearily for his phone, he has no idea what time it is but the windows are dark so it must be late. He squints at his phone - six o’clock.

The knock comes again so Kylo rises unsteadily from his seat, tucking his pencils into his top knot. He lifts Millie from his shoulder and sets her gently on the sofa as he goes to the door. He opens the door an inch, then throws it wider when he sees Armitage standing there, cheeks stained with a blush, hair slightly wild like he’s been caught in the wind.

“Armitage!” Kylo says in surprise and delight, he hadn’t expected him back for another two or three days. “You’re supposed to be in Dublin.”

Armitage bites his lip as hectic spots of colour flare upon his cheeks and down his neck. “I was in Dublin but then I remember that I still had your scarf, from when you first brought Millie over.” He holds up Kylo’s neatly folded green and blue plaid scarf. “I washed it for you and meant to return it… but I forgot. So I’m doing that… now.” He finishes lamely.

Kylo grins broadly as he steps aside so that Armitage can come in. “You came all the way back from Dublin to give me my scarf?”

“Ah, yes?” Armitage rolls his eyes at himself as he hands over the scarf, embarrassed by his threadbare excuse. “Also, my niece and nephew are sweet little things but Will brings out the absolute worst in them.”

“I see,” Kylo presses his scarf to his face. The wool smells fresh and botanical, like summertime.

“And, I’d rather be here with you,” Armitage mumbles. “I wanted to come home.”

Kylo tucks the scarf under his arm so he can reach out with both hands and adjust the lapels of Armitage’s coat, tugging him slightly closer in the process. 

“I missed you too.”

Armitage’s smile is so bright it’s like he’s pulled down the stars from the sky. He holds up a bottle. “I also found this ridiculously overpriced champagne in the airport shop, I thought maybe you could help me drink it since it’s New Year’s Eve.”

“I think that could be arranged,” Kylo grins back at Armitage as he guides him into the kitchen. 

Kylo tosses the scarf onto the back of the sofa so he can take Armitage’s coat. He nods Armitage in the direction of one of the kitchen chairs as he hangs up the coat then crosses the room to the easel and drags a drop cloth over the canvas, covering it entirely.

“Oh, were you working?” Armitage says from the kitchen, a worried look flitting across his face.

“I’m done for now,” Kylo says, adjusting the cloth and then lowering the blinds.

He turns the fireplace on and Millie eagerly leaps from the sofa and trots over to her blankets, curling up in the warmth radiating from the electric fireplace. He then joins Armitage in the kitchen.

They order take-away for dinner, sit too close to each other on the sofa, laugh as they share a meal and tell each other about their days apart. They listen to music while they clean up and reminisce about shows they’ve seen over the last decade; Armitage’s navy blue jumper comes off and his sleeves get rolled up. He giggles as he leans over to pluck the pencils from Kylo’s top knot then hands the pencils to Kylo so that he can also undo the elastic in Kylo’s hair to let his heavy, dark locks tumble around his shoulders.

As midnight approaches, they pour the champagne and toast each other and Millie. At midnight exactly, as fireworks combust in a kaleidoscope of colours around the neighbourhood and people on the street toasted the end of the year, Kylo cradles Armitage's face in his hands and guides him in for a passionate kiss.

Armitage’s eyes are dark and glittering when Kylo pulls back, heavy-lidded and playful. He takes the glass from Kylo’s hand and sets their glasses both down upon the mantle then guides Kylo’s hands to his hips as he buries his hands in Kylo’s hair. Armitage sighs as Kylo presses closer; he nods when Kylo tips his head in the direction of the bedroom asking the question silently. Armitage kisses each of Kylo’s beauty marks as Kylo begins to walk them back towards the bedroom.

****

_Five months later…_

Kylo exhales nervously as he watches the gallery technicians install canvas after canvas on the matte gray walls of the Gachet Gallery. He’d shown his work here before but this is his first solo show and his head is a complicated mess right now. 

It’s not that he’s worried that no one will come to the show - the gallery had sent out perhaps a hundred invitations and received twice as many replies confirming attendance, so that was something. And it’s not that he doesn’t think his work is up to par, because he thinks this show exhibits some of his best work to date. The Dark Rises and the Light to Meet It will be his introduction onto a much larger stage.

He’s just got opening night jitters, he supposes.

Kylo leans back against the wall and watches the crew install the last painting; it’s his favourite, this is the piece he conceived of on New Year’s Eve and it took weeks to finish but looking at the completed canvas, it was so worth it. The painting with the semi-reclining figure will be the centrepiece of the show.

He closes his eyes and lets the commotion wash over him. The technicians chatter to themselves as they work to secure the canvases to the wall and their voices merge with the clatter of other equipment being set up. There will be a DJ spinning later in the evening, once all the speeches are done, and those crews are setting up speakers, running cords along the walls, testing the acoustics, and somewhere in all the commotion, Kylo hears the heavy front door of the gallery open and then slam closed. Sharp, precise footsteps approached him, the visitor’s shoes rapping smartly across the polished concrete floor. Kylo smiles, eyes still closed. Only one person walks like that.

Kylo’s eyes flutter open so he can watch Armitage's approach. He’s still dressed in his slim black trousers and charcoal shirt with a black tie that he was wearing this morning when he left for work. Even though it’s the end of May and warm, Armitage’s only concession to the heat is to roll his sleeves up. He’s carrying Kylo’s garment bag over his shoulder. With his hair brushed rakishly to the side and his confident, precise posture, he looks beautiful and terrifying all at once. Kylo loves him so much at that moment.

“Hello, love,” Armitage says as Kylo sweeps him into a hug. “This looks amazing.” He gestures to the industrial space.

Kylo cups his face and presses a kiss to those plush lips. He’d wondered for ages what it would be like to kiss that mouth, and now he gets that pleasure every day.

“Tess outdid herself with this set-up,” Kylo says, keeping one arm firmly around Armitage’s waist. He takes the garment bag from him. “Thanks for this, I can’t believe I forgot it this morning.”

“It’s no problem, I had to go feed Millie anyway,” Armitage says, leaning forward for another feather-light kiss. “I would have been here sooner but there was some delay on the District Line.”

As Armitage leans against Kylo’s side with a contented sigh, they watch the gallery workers finish their task; Armitage’s interested eye roves over the artwork but when his gaze falls upon the last canvas, with the reclining figure, his eyes widen as his mouth falls open slightly.

“Well, that’s a familiar-looking person.” He says faintly, looking over at Kylo.

He’s clearly trying for an arch expression but Kylo can tell he’s touched. A delicate petal-pink blush stains his cheeks. Kylo presses a kiss to his temple.

The figure on the canvas has a long, graceful body with sweeping curves, narrow yet strong shoulders, rosy pink nipples, and long legs. The modesty of the man on the canvas is carefully preserved by an artfully arranged sheet; his face is relaxed and thoughtful. The shock of red hair and plush lips is what gives the figure’s identity away.

“My favourite person,” Kylo says agreeably, squeezing Armitage's shoulder as he kisses his temple again.

“You’ve made me too pretty, Kylo.”

Kylo snorts as he nuzzles into Armitage's soft, slightly damp hair. “If anything, I held back.”

“I guess I can’t argue with the professional,” Armitage attempts a teasing tone but his voice was thick with emotion. 

He burrows closer to Kylo’s side, resting his chin upon Kylo’s shoulder so that together, they watch as the final touches are put on the gallery space before the party tonight.

The smoky grey walls of the gallery compliment and highlight the colours on the canvases, showing off the intricate interplay of light and shadow that marks this phase of Kylo’s artistic development. The overhead lights are set in such a way that each painting is illuminated by itself in a pool of light so that the viewers have an intimate experience with each individual painting - standing either within the pool of light or at the edge in the shadows, one would feel as if they were alone in the gallery interacting with the art on their own.

“I like the title,” Armitage whispers into Kylo’s ear. “It’s very dramatic. It fits the theme and the artist entirely.”

“Titles are always the hardest part,” Kylo replies with a sigh as he slides his hand up to rest on the nape of Armitage’s neck. “This one though, it just felt right.”

Armitage gazes thoughtfully at the series of canvases closest to them. There are figures in each piece, either obscured or exposed by the light and shadows. 

“Who’s the dark?” He says, looking up at Kylo. “And who is the light? Is it us? That seems apt since you’re my guiding light.”

“I like to think we’re each a bit of both,” Kylo says, stroking the back of his hand over Armitage’s cheek. “We helped each other find a way out of our wilderness years.”

“Yeah, we did, didn’t we?”

Armitage sways closer allowing Kylo to envelop him in an embrace, uncaring that the garment bag is still hanging from Kylo’s other hand. They stand pressed together tightly, Armitage’s arms wrap around Kylo’s neck, his fingers tangling in Kylo’s heavy, dark curls.

They press lush, open-mouthed kisses to each other’s rosy mouths, heedless of anyone watching until gradually the noise of the gallery fades away and there’s only the two of them in the world.


End file.
